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Heavy snow blankets Athens, Greek islands causing major disruptions

The Greek Herald
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Heavy snow blankets Athens, Greek islands causing major disruptions

Heavy snowfall from the Elpida storm disrupted air and road traffic in the Greek capital of Athens and on the Greek islands on Monday.

The snow came down thick and fast throughout the day in central Athens, settling on the marble columns of the ancient Acropolis. Greek authorities sent out emergency alerts to cell phones in the wider Athens area warning of severe snowfall.

  • Mesogeion Avenue, Athens. Photos: The Greek Herald / Panagiotis Dalatariof.

Authorities also warned the public to limit outdoor movements to only essential ones on Monday and Tuesday, while schools in many areas were closed.

Snow chains were mandatory for cars on many roads, while trucks were banned from the main highway heading north from Athens.

Nevertheless, the icy conditions and lack of snow chains on some vehicles left traffic snarled for hours on many of the Greek capital’s roads, including a highway ring road and one of the main avenues in Athens. Several drivers reported being stuck in their cars for hours.

  • Pagrati, Athens. Photos: The Greek Herald / Panagiotis Dalatariof.

Climate Change and Civil Protection Minister, Christos Stylianides, apologised for the problems on the ring road, and said its private operators would be called to provide explanations. He added that efforts were being made to keep all major highways open.

Mr Stylianides also said only minor power supply problems had occurred, mostly on the island of Evia, and were expected to be resolved by later Monday.

  • Pagrati, Athens. Photos: The Greek Herald / Panagiotis Dalatariof.

Several domestic and international flights to Athens airport were cancelled, while subway service to the airport was partially suspended as some of it runs above ground.

The health ministry announced that COVID-19 vaccination centers in the wider Athens region and Evia would close early Monday and remain closed Tuesday.

Authorities expect the snowfall will persist on Tuesday and according to Ekathimerini, a public holiday is set to be declared for the country.

  • Evangelismos, Athens. Photos: The Greek Herald / Panagiotis Dalatariof.

Snow is common in the Greek mountains and in northern Greece but is less frequent in central Athens and on Aegean islands.

Last year, the Greek capital was hit by a major snowstorm that caused severe problems, knocking out power for days in certain neighbourhoods and making all streets impassable without snow chains. Thousands of trees collapsed from the weight of the snow and ice.

Source: AP News.

Stefanos Tsitsipas outlasts Fritz to reach Australian Open quarter-finals

The Greek Herald
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Stefanos Tsitsipas outlasts Fritz to reach Australian Open quarter-finals

Greek fourth seed, Stefanos Tsitsipas, survived a gruelling fourth-round battle with American, Taylor Fritz, on Monday, twice coming from a set behind to win 4-6 6-4 4-6 6-3 6-4 and reach the Australian Open quarter-finals.

At just past midnight on Rod Laver Arena, the Greek ended Fritz’s resistance to set up a clash with Italian Jannik Sinner. He will be seeking to reach the semi-finals at Melbourne Park for the third time in his career.

Tsitsipas looked edgy at times but his greater experience on the big stage eventually showed as he got the decisive break in the fifth set before claiming victory.

Fritz, playing in his first Grand Slam fourth round, converted only two of his 15 break points and will rue a missed opportunity to become the first American male to reach a Grand Slam quarter-final for two years.

“It was an epic match that’s all I can say, I gave everything out there on the court today,” Tsitsipas said after his match.

“I’m proud of the way I fought.

“I’m overwhelmed. It’s too good to be true. I knew it was going to be physical, and I knew I had to be patient and in the end it paid off.”

Source: Ekathimerini.

Greek Australian rapper, Masked Wolf, is pop’s ‘Next Big Thing’

The Greek Herald
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Greek Australian rapper, Masked Wolf, is pop’s ‘Next Big Thing’

Radio has been deposed by social media giant, TikTok, as the platform to launch unknown artists into the pop culture stratosphere, The Daily Telegraph reports.

One of these artists is global rap sensation Masked Wolf, whose followers and trending moments converted to millions of streams in the last 18 months.

READ MORE: Meet the Greek Australian rapper, ‘Masked Wolf’, topping international charts.

The Greek Australian rapper, who’s real name is Harry Michael, released Astronaut In The Ocean in June 2019, but it didn’t lift off until late 2020.

Why? Because TikTok creators began using its dramatic 30 second opening to soundtrack videos about welding, four-wheel drives and feats of superhuman athleticism.

JLo also gave the hit an extra bump when she posted a video of her dancing poolside to its infectious beat.

Masked Wolf.

This in turn sent Masked Wolf’s fans to streaming services such as Spotify and Apple Music to play the whole song.

TikTok’s Director of Music, Ollie Wards, said the song’s explosion into the music ecosystem was “mind-blowing.”

“It was completely mind-blowing to watch this rapper from Maroubra in Sydney go from being completely unknown to having a song in the top 10 of the US Billboard chart and a billion streams purely because of TikTok trends, and now he’s a bona fide touring and recording artist,” Wards said.

Source: The Daily Telegraph.

Cretan Association of the Northern Territory re-established after five years

The Greek Herald
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Cretan Association of the Northern Territory re-established after five years

The Cretan Association of the Northern Territory has been re-established after five years, according to a press release by the Cretan Federation of Australia & New Zealand.

The re-establishment comes after several passionate Cretans in Northern Australia requested assistance from the Federation to re-elect a new committee following the resignation of Honorary President Kostas Hnaris.

Mr Tsourdalakis (left) with President of the Greek Community of North Australia, Nick Poniris (right).

The President of the Cretan Federation of Australia & New Zealand, Tony Tsourdalakis, spent over five days in Darwin meeting with local authorities, seeking their support and hosting the Annual General Meeting of Cretans.

The AGM led to the election of a new committee which consists of:

  • The Lord Mayor of Darwin Cr. Kon Vatskalis (left)
  • The new President of the Cretan Association of the Northern Territory, George Mamounis (right).

• President: George Mamounis from Prefect of Iraklio.
• Vice President: Manolis Kourmoulis from Prefect of Rethymno.
• Secretary: Alexandros Larentzos from the Prefect of Rethymno.
• Assistant Secretary: Christos Makrynakis from the Prefect of Lasithi.
• Treasurer: Eleftheria Petrakakakis from the Prefect of Rethymno.
• Public Relations: Konstantinos Tererakis from the Prefect of Jannis.
• Media & Marketing: Thomas Kallonas from the Prefect of Lasithi.
• Committee Members: Peter Paroulakis from the Prefect of Hania, Yianna Paterakis from the Prefect of Iraklio, Sofia Lendaris from the Prefect of Rethymno and Katerina Tererakis from the Prefect of Hania.
• Cretan Youth Representatives: George Kourmoulis, Nikos Makrynakis, Maria Kourmoulis

“We welcome them all with open arms to the big Federation Family and offer our undivided support,” the Federation said in the press release.

The Hon. Consul General of Greece in Darwin John Anoictomatis (left).

“We pay our respects for their years of service and contribution to the Hnaris Family, Paterakis Family, Christakis Family and Tererakis Family.  

“The Cretan Federation of Australia & New Zealand extends its warmest thanks to: The Hon. Consul General of Greece in Darwin John Anoictomatis, The Lord Mayor of Darwin Cr. Kon Vatskalis and the President of the Greek Community Nicholas Poniris for their current and future support of the Cretan Association of Northern Territory, as well as a warm thanks to the Mamounis Family for their warm Cretan Hospitality.”

Immigration Minister, Alex Hawke, says Australia Day ‘not a time for protests’

The Greek Herald
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Immigration Minister, Alex Hawke, says Australia Day ‘not a time for protests’

Federal Minister for Immigration, Alex Hawke, has warned councils against refusing to hold Australia Day celebrations, The Australian reports.

Minister Hawke said the national day should not be defined by “past mistakes” and councils should not be using the day to launch protests.

“It is… very sad to see some councils continue to politicise Australia Day this year, in a range of increasingly ridiculous ways, totally out of step with an overwhelming majority of people and the Australian community generally,” Minister Hawke told the newspaper.

“Councils should stick to their own role and not waste ratepayers’ time or money entertaining extreme views.”

READ MORE: ‘Un-Australian’: Mayor Steve Christou blasts councils over Australia Day festivities.

A number of Councils across Australia have cancelled or modified their Australia Day events this year.

Melbourne’s Australia Day parade was cancelled for the second consecutive year, whilst other events, such as one held in Byron Bay, have become online events due to COVID-19.

In response, Mr Hawke said the federal government rejected “disingenuous and ahistorical views from fringe councillors designed to undermine what is in reality the luckiest country on earth.”

Source: The Australian.

Property developer, Theo Maras, switches support to SA Labor party

The Greek Herald
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Property developer, Theo Maras, switches support to SA Labor party

South Australian property developer, Theo Maras, has publicly declared his support for SA Labor Party leader, Peter Malinauskas.

After sharing a post by Mr Malinauskas on LinkedIn, Mr Maras wrote: “Leadership that looks to the future generation and a team that will work together for the benefit of all South Australians.”

This news comes as a surprise to many as Mr Maras has consistently been a strong Liberal Party donor.

READ MORE: Theo Maras: ‘Who you are is measured by what you will leave behind’.

But Mr Maras said he had lost confidence in Liberal SA Premier, Steven Marshall, after he decided to reopen the state’s borders when the Omicron variant posed a serious threat to the state’s economy.

“We needed a plan before we opened the gates, we needed contingencies in case of the worst case scenario,” he told The Advertiser.

“We needed strength, leadership and conviction. That did not happen from our Premier or our government.”

READ MORE: Developer, Theo Maras, calls for a new vision for future development across Adelaide.

Theo Maras.

Asked why he had endorsed Labor, Mr Maras said he decided it was “time to give somebody else the help that I have given the Liberals.”

According to The Advertiser, Mr Malinauskas has welcomed Mr Maras’ support. Premier Marshall declined to comment.

READ MORE: Theo Maras calls for greater help to prevent hospitality industry from crumbling.

Source: The Advertiser.

‘The show’s spirit will continue’: Patricia Karvelas on hosting RN Breakfast for first time

The Greek Herald
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‘The show’s spirit will continue’: Patricia Karvelas on hosting RN Breakfast for first time

The ABC’s Patricia Karvelas hosted her first-ever Radio National (RN) Breakfast show on Monday with the confidence and enthusiasm of a well-trained professional.

Karvelas took over hosting duties of the much-loved program when long-time host, Fran Kelly, stepped down after 17 years last year.

READ MORE: Patricia Karvelas prepares to go off script in new ABC RN Breakfast role.

She told The Guardian today that she accepts there’ll be a ‘period of grief’ for the loss of Kelly, but she’s determined to show listeners “that the show’s spirit will continue.”

“That’s my first project: to sort of steady the ship. When you lose a host there is a period of grief and adjustment that I’m very prepared for,” Karvelas said in the interview.

READ MORE: Patricia Karvelas announced as the new host of ABC’s RN Breakfast program.

Once that job’s been done, Karvelas’ next focus will be on ensuring the radio program has a national focus, even though it is being produced from her hometown of Melbourne rather than Sydney.

“This country is big and vast and the experiences we have in it are just so diverse and different,” she said.

Patricia Karvelas (right) took over hosting duties of the much-loved program when long-time host, Fran Kelly (left), stepped down after 17 years last year.

“What I am interested in is the truth and sometimes if you pursue the truth and facts they can take you to places unexpected.”

READ MORE: ABC’s Patricia Karvelas opens up about difficult childhood and entering the field of journalism.

Karvelas is known as one of the most driven people in media and there’s no doubt she’ll be successful in her new role.

Source: The Guardian.

‘We are bracing ourselves’: Angelo Gavrielatos reacts to NSW back-to-school plan

The Greek Herald
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‘We are bracing ourselves’: Angelo Gavrielatos reacts to NSW back-to-school plan

In a back-to-school plan announced by NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet over the weekend, every student and teacher will be asked to take a rapid antigen test twice a week to attend school, but masks will be ­restricted to high school.

More than six million tests will be distributed to 3000 public, Catholic and ­independent schools across the state before the start of the term to ensure enough supply for the first two weeks of term.

Students will also be allowed to take part in choirs, music ensembles and overnight camps again, subject to Department of Education guidelines to reduce the risk of virus infection.

READ MORE: Angelo Gavrielatos says teacher vaccine rule will ‘add stress’ on the education system.

NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet announced his back-to-school plan over the weekend.

Premier Perrottet acknowledged that whilst there would be some “disruption” along the way, it was important for children to return to school on the first day of term.

“It’s best for educational outcomes, it’s best for mental health, and it’s best for social outcomes as well,” he said.

In response, the NSW Teachers Federation President, Angelo Gavrielatos, said his members were concerned for the health and safety of students and staff.

READ MORE: Reopening NSW schools early ‘won’t be without risk,’ Angelo Gavrielatos says.

He said masks should be mandatory for primary school children as well.

“You can’t be vigilant enough with these settings. No other industry requests you to be on a work site with hundreds and up to 2000 other people in sometimes poorly ventilated sites, which are classrooms with up to 30 students,” he said.

“We remain very concerned and we are bracing ourselves for a disruptive start to the school year.”

Source: The Sydney Morning Herald.

Radars used to find people missing since 1974 Turkish invasion of Cyprus

The Greek Herald
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Radars used to find people missing since 1974 Turkish invasion of Cyprus

US academics have used ground-penetrating radar to seek burial sites on Cyprus of people missing since the 1974 Turkish invasion and earlier interethnic strife, AP News reports.

Team leader Harry M. Jol told the Associated Press on Friday that they scanned several pre-selected sites between December 28 and January 6, using a system that creates subsurface images without the need to dig.

Traces of ground disturbance from human activity were found among the half-dozen sites searched, but confirmation of burials would require excavation.

READ MORE: Bones of Charalambos Kokotsis’ missing brother found years after the Turkish invasion of Cyprus.

An anthropologist works on the remains of a missing person at the anthropologist laboratory of Cyprus Missing Persons (CMP) inside the U.N buffer zone in the divided capital Nicosia, Cyprus, May 31, 2017. Photo: AP Photo/Petros Karadjias, File.

Jol said he passed on to the Committee on Missing Persons (CMP) — an expert group that has since 2006 been seeking more than 2,000 missing Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots — information on where soil disturbance was found.

READ MORE: Personal stories of survival and loss during the Turkish invasion of Cyprus.

The data continues to be processed and interpreted in collaboration with CMP staff, while Jol said there are plans for his team to return to the east Mediterranean island nation in the near future.

CMP experts have so far exhumed the remains of 1,114 people and identified 1,023. However, 778 Greek Cypriots and 201 Turkish Cypriots still remain missing since the 1974 Turkish invasion, which split the island along ethnic lines, and intercommunal fighting in the decade before.

READ MORE: Cyprus returns remains of Greek soldiers killed in 1974 invasion.

Source: AP News.

Australian Open: Sakkari eliminated whilst Kyrgios, Kokkinakis and Tsitsipas impress

The Greek Herald
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Australian Open: Sakkari eliminated whilst Kyrgios, Kokkinakis and Tsitsipas impress

There was a lot of action at the Australian Open in Melbourne over the weekend with Maria Sakkari being eliminated from the tournament, whilst the ‘Special K’s’ (Nick Kyrgios and Thanasis Kokkinakis) and Stefanos Tsitsipas progressed to their next rounds.

Here is The Greek Herald‘s rundown of this weekend’s matches:

Stefanos Tsitsipas beats Paire without realising it:

Stefanos Tsitsipas fought off Benoit Paire to reach the Australian Open fourth round on Saturday with a tough 6-3 7-5 6-7(2) 6-4 win.

But in a funny turn-of-events, Tsitsipas appeared not to realise the game was over after converting match point.

Paire dunked a forehand into the net on the first of three match points when serving to stay in the match, but fourth seed Tsitsipas walked to the back of the court rather than approach the net.

The Greek turned around at the baseline with a look of surprise on his face, before walking forward to acknowledge Paire.

“I’m pretty glad with that win, Benoit is someone I say is one of the biggest stars in our game,” Tsitsipas, who is a former semi-finalist at Melbourne Park, said in his post-match interview.

Tsitsipas.

Having held Paire at bay at Rod Laver Arena, the Greek crumbled in the third set tiebreak to let the Frenchman back into the match.

Paire kept in touch to 4-4 in the fourth set before conceding the match points with a double-fault.

Tsitsipas will meet with American Taylor Fritz today for a place in the quarter-finals.

Nick Kyrgios, Thanasi Kokkinakis continue dream doubles run:

Nick Kyrgios and Thanasi Kokkinakis have stormed into the quarterfinals of the men’s doubles draw at the Australian Open.

The Australians took down 15th seeds Ariel Behar and Gonzalo Escobar in three sets, 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 inside a packed Kia Arena.

At one set apiece, the deciding third was on a knife’s edge until the Australian duo got a break of serve in the fifth game.

Later at 5-4, Kyrgios served for the match, before Kokkinakis iced the victory with a brilliant backhand volley at the net that sent the crowd into a frenzy.

The pair took to the court in the wake of Kyrgios’s claim he and Kokkinakis were threatened with violence following their win over number one seeds Nikola Mektic and Mate Pavic on Friday.

Photo: Twitter / Australian Open.

In what was an upset second-round result, Kyrgios and Kokkinakis defeated the Croatian pairing 7-6 (10-8), 6-3.

Now Kyrgios and Kokkinakis will play sixth seeds Tim Pütz and Michael Venus in the quarter-finals.

Maria Sakkari eliminated at Australian Open:

Fifth-seed Maria Sakkari crashed out of the Australian Open on Sunday, losing in straight sets, 6-7 (0-7), 3-6 to Jessica Pegula of the United States.

Sakkari was trying to reach her first Australian Open Quarterfinal but could not overcome Pegula, losing to her for the first time in their three encounters.

The first set was fairly even until Pegula dominated the tie-break, winning without conceding a point. Pegula jumped into an early lead in the second, going up 5-2.

Sakkari held serve in the next game and tried hard for a break in the ninth, staving off a match point, but Pegula held to advance to her second consecutive quarterfinal in the competition.

Source: Ekathimerini, Ekathimerini, ABC News.

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